303 athletes cleared by Sports Ministry to take part in Asian Para Games

A total of 303 athletes were cleared by the Sports Ministry along with 143 coaches, escorts, officials, and support staff to form the 446-member Indian contingent for the Asian Para Games starting on 22nd October in Hangzhou, China.

Among the 303 para-athletes- a total of 191 male and 112 female athletes across 17 sports were cleared making it the largest-ever Indian contingent at the Asian Para Games with 123 athletes participating in Athletics.

India will participate in seventeen disciplines, including five sports — Canoe, Blind Football, Lawn Bowls, Rowing, and Taekwondo — for the very first time.

Veteran shuttler Parul Parmar and shooter Amit Saroha will be India’s flag bearers at the marquee event.

India’s best performance at the Asian Para Games came in the 2018 edition in Jakarta, where a total of 190 para-athletes won 72 medals, including 15 gold, 24 silver, and 33 bronze.

Originally scheduled to take place from 9 to 15 October 2022, the event was postponed to 2023 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The opening ceremony of the Para Games will take place on 22 October at the Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium. The closing ceremony of the event will take place on 28 October at the same venue.

The Games will feature 566 gold medal events in 22 sports (in 24 disciplines) which were split into multiple events, including Taekwondo, Canoeing, and Go which are included for the first time in the Games' programme.

Absent from the previous edition, Blind Football and Rowing which were not featured in the 2018 edition will return.

https://thebridge.in/asian-para-games/general-competition-schedule-asian-para-games-2023-released-44382?infinitescroll=1